CreateAthon 2012

(Cue Mega-Exciting CreateAthon theme song)

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:01:54 -0400

This will be my last blog post of the semester. I know…you’re completely grief-stricken by the thought of not having more interesting words to read on this page. It’s ok, I’ll make some more when the inspiration hits me.

The subject for this post is “how I will carry the torch and spread the word” about CreateAthon. That ‘carrying the torch’ part makes me yearn for an epic song. My current plan is to discuss it with anyone and everyone because it’s an amazing experience that all should know about. I plan on helping out next year in whatever possible way I can (I’m graduating, so I can’t play team leader/member anymore). There’s also a non-profit organization I’m close to that I will work on persuading to be a part of CreateAthon in the future. Aside from those things, I will approach the rest of my career with the sound knowledge that creating for a good cause is a great line of work to get into. I can’t say where the future will take me, but I know that doing something like this for a living wouldn’t be a bad route to follow. Until next time…ha ha ha…

Change CreateAthon?

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:41:07 -0400

Pshh, girl…dat wouldn’t be necessary…

…but, if I had to change something…

1. Personal Coffeemakers for Team Leaders

2. A waiver signed by each mentor stating that they will not try to assume authority over your project

3. Personal Razor Scooters for Team Leaders

4. Non-Stop Pizza

5. TWO DAY BLITZ! BRING IT!!

If you can take anything from the silliness of the above suggestions, perhaps realize that goofy suggestions are the only ones to make for a process that works. CreateAthon ain’t broke, so why fix it?

P.S. - The two day blitz idea is actually a good idea. Think about it…

An Apology

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:29:56 -0400

Once upon a time, the CreateAthon team leaders were taken to Carter Printing to see wondrous machines and glorious assortments of paper. Meanwhile, Matt Stinnett was sleeping through his blaring alarm at home. He would like to express his deepest regrets for missing this journey and hopes to someday see the glory that is Carter Printing. Though, he was glad to learn a useful lesson: two alarm clocks isn’t enough.

Working It Out

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:25:02 -0400

One of the benefits of being a team leader for CreateAthon is getting to know yourself a little better. Certain tasks you have to complete, especially getting through the 24-hour blitz, force you to figure out a way to get things done and still keep it together. This experience can bring you a little closer to your personal strengths and weaknesses. For me, the biggest realization I had was that I really prefer to be a part of a team as opposed to leading it. My team for CreateAthon was great - great people, great creative minds, great everything - but having to lead them through the big day put some heavy stress on my brain. It’s more natural for me to work and think alone than it is for me to try to guide four people through their creative processes. Regardless, this experience showed me that I can tough it out. Realizing that I can overcome the natural stress of being a leader was one of the best things I learned from this experience.

Working with clients...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:45:14 -0400

Working with clients is one of the biggest challenges to being team leader for CreateAthon. It’s one thing when your grade is the ultimate symbol of success for your work. Hoping for positive feedback from a legitimate client is something altogether different.

Throughout the process of CreateAthon, I was in touch with my client through different circumstances. I first met with them at the initial client meeting, an event where we sat down with RTR and discussed their desires regarding the outcome of CreateAthon. This was a bit nerve-racking, but Peyton was very helpful in leading the discussion. I next met with RTR at the location of their business. This meeting was very helpful because I got to sit with two representatives of RTR and discuss the project on more of a personal level. Having had no experience working with a client in this context, I wasn’t exactly sure how to approach the discussion. This was a good opportunity to force some confidence and jump into the situation. My final meeting with RTR took place the morning after the 24-hour creative blitz. Needless to say, I was off my game a bit when this meeting took place. Regardless of sleep deprivation, the presentation went smoothly and the client seemed fairly pleased with our results. The big lesson I learned from this experience was something I convinced myself prior to the meeting: that I needed to leave any frustrations or concerns at the door and walk in without any emotional ties to the work being presented. It’s hard to act your age when you haven’t had proper rest in 24 hours, so I had to check myself and remember that the world wouldn’t end if the client didn’t like our work. Thankfully they DID like our work, but it was a good mental exercise to prepare for the worst.

Those are my thoughts on working with clients. Happy Wednesday.

Why CreateAthon?

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:30:16 -0400

BECAUSE IT’S GOOD FOR YOU!

Seriously, though…there are many fine reasons to involve your school in CreateAthon. In fact, there might be too many reasons for your school to participate; thus, I will narrow the list down to six…

1. THE PEOPLE

Everyone involved with this event adds something special to it. Peyton leading the class, the team leaders organizing their projects, the GO team folks doing what they do (I’m not being specific because they do a lot), and other experienced people mentoring and helping are just a few examples of the various contributions made. All in all, participating gives you the chance to be part of an army of creative awesomeness.

2. CLIENT MATTERS

There are few classes I’ve taken that have given me the opportunity to learn about interacting with a client. It can be intimidating at first, frustrating as you go along, and completely crazy when you get into the production phase. Despite all of that, you get to form a solid relationship with good people who truly value the work you are doing for them.

3. WORKING FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE

When you’re a student in creative advertising, you tend to get a little carried away with the “creative” part. Getting the chance to focus on thinking strategically is a major benefit. Spending 30+ hours doctoring the look of a print ad series is all great fun, but being able to separate yourself from the creation process and think about the overall benefit of your work to your client is good exercise for a student in this major.

4. BRIEFS!

“AHHHHHH!”

That is the sound you hear in your mind when you’ve gotten back your fourth revision of your brief and it still isn’t quite right. Though this sounds slightly horrific, it is really helpful to any student of advertising. Being able to sculpt the bulk of your ideas into a clean, succinct creative brief is a great experience to put under your belt.

5. THE BIG DAY

The main event of CreateAthon is a spectacular thing to behold. Everyone who has been involved with the event comes together for one big creative blast that never seems to end. It’s an experience that is both stressful and incredibly fun. Plus, it’s a pretty awesome event to associate with your school. It never hurts to please the public eye.

6. THAT LITTLE FEELING YOU GET

While CreateAthon is good for the learning experience of a student, it is also good for the sake of helping others. The selected non-profits get the opportunity to receive great work that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to create or afford. In turn, that work helps to promote an organization that is dedicated to making the world a better place. It’s like ‘Pay It Forward’, only Haley Joel Osment doesn’t have to die and everybody gets a happy ending.

The list above doesn’t say it all. I recommend anyone reading this to go HERE. Then you might get a better idea of why CreateAthon is the bomb.com. Until next time, y’all…

Works ______ with others

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:33:00 -0400

noun

1. the act or process of collaborating.

2. a product resulting from collaboration: This dictionary is acollaboration of many minds.

Origin: 1855–60; < French < Late Latin collabōrāt (us) (see collaborate) + French -ion -ion

Thanks, Dictionary.com!

Our major requires a great deal of collaboration. Whether it’s collaborating with a set of partners for a single campaign (completeness) or with one partner on several different projects (style/invention/etc.), working with others is a BIG part of the work we do. As most would expect, this method can create some nasty stress. It is one thing to be concerned about the work you are solely responsible for, but it is something completely different to be stressed about work with your name/work attached to it that depends partially on the work of another. This process can lead to some burnt bridges, but it also (hopefully) results in more bridges built.

THE GOOD

I’ve had some great experiences working with fellow students. It’s great to have someone to add another perspective or a different set of skills to a project. Coming from my own limited background (2-3 years ago I had just started using Adobe programs), it’s been great to have partners who have had more experience with design-related programs. This isn’t because they can do the work for me (wink wink), but more because I’ve learned a lot from these students. It’s the same as it has been for me in the realm of music. There are people I’ve played with over the years that really pushed me and inspired me to learn more about creating good music. Through this, I’ve learned how beneficial it can be to work with people who are just as passionate as you are about the craft you are pursuing. CreateAthon was a more condensed exercise in working with others, but it was just as great. I had some great minds working on my team, and I learned a lot more from these folks in 24 hours than I ever would have expected.

THE BAD & UGLY

Unfortunately…working with others can be frustrating/annoying/maddening/etc. It’s the side to our major that most don’t foresee, but it happens regardless. Most of the early classes in Creative Advertising at VCU don’t require working with a partner on EVERY project, but the final classes are a horse of a different color. This, whether or not we immediately realize it, is a necessary method. The majority of what we’re studying to do in the “real world” (whimper) involves a great deal of collaboration. Even if the person you’re working with is lazy/argumentative/etc., you have to find a way to deal with it and get your work finished. CreateAthon was a great exercise for this side of collaboration. To better express my view, I’ll give you an example from my CreateAthon experience:

It’s 4:00 AM. The website you’ve been working on isn’t near being finished and you have to present your work in five hours. Everyone on your team is going crazy from sleep deprivation and you can’t think straight enough to recite your ABC’s. There are multiple opinions going around the room and you have to decide on one and keep the other opinions from muddying the direction of your work. Meanwhile, the other pieces to your project are being worked on and you’re not too sure how those are going because you’re still trying to solve the problems with the website. You don’t want to be too demanding of your fellow team members, but you do need to emphasize the importance of getting everything done in a clean, succinct format. What do you do? You’re not sure, but you think you know how to handle it. Ok, let’s try this…

Painful stuff, but the results were fantastic. My team kicked serious butt in the remaining hours and we ended up with four different pieces to our project (website layout/promotional brochures/e-newsletter layout/social media plan). I felt that the best solution to keeping our collaboration on a cozy level was putting some faith in my team. I didn’t want to constantly badger them about typefaces and file formats and other things, so I didn’t. I would periodically check in and make sure things weren’t going haywire, but a lot of our work came out of trusting my talented teammates to get it done right. And they did. That was perhaps the greatest lesson about collaboration that I learned from CreateAthon. Until next I blog…

Friday March 16th

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:34:00 -0400

Victory!

BRIEFBRIEFBRIEFBRIEFBRIEFBRIEFBRIEFBRIEF

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:59:00 -0500

As a team leader for CreateAthon, you are expected to do a number of things before the big 24-hour event. This involves meeting your client, researching their scene, visiting the site of their work (or related locations), maintaining the tumblr blog, working on the creative brief and other tasks. The biggest struggle, for me at least, would be the creative brief. Being a student of Creative Advertising at VCU, I have spent time working on or contributing to maybe 1-2 creative briefs (neither of which required as much work as this one). Coming into the CreateAthon process with said creative brief experience made this task seem a lot more daunting, but a little time and a lot of effort has eased my anxiety on the subject. Let us take a brief moment to briefly brief you on the less-than-brief process of creating a creative brief…

STARING DOWN THE STONE

To me, writing a creative brief is like sculpting a masterpiece that doubles as a to-do list/map: it needs to inspire the viewer while effectively charting/detailing the territory of the assignment. The first step is to identify the piece you will be sculpting: what it’s made of, how big it is, what you can do with it, etc. This part is easily the most intimidating: collecting the bulk of what you’re going to work with without letting its size and initial shape scare you from dedicating your time to it. What can I say, I almost messed my briefs! <yuck yuck yuck>

THE FIRST TRY OF MANY

The first shot you take at the brief is a shot in the dark at best. This doesn’t apply to all who would and have worked on briefs, but I’m in the captain’s seat here. The important thing is not to hold back on any pertinent information: flood that sucker with everything you think/hope/doubt it will need. The first revision I received had more red ink on it than any other, but that gave me a useful bulk of information to go on.

THE (your head) GAME

It’s been difficult keeping up with revisions in the midst of school endeavors, but it simply has to get done. This brief will be the bible of our client work, so I can’t rightly let up on it with the impending CreateAthon event on the horizon. I’ve found it easier to just focus on a certain piece (the one that needs the most work - duh) right off the bat. This gets my brain moving in the right direction and makes the many smaller issues easier to knock out.

THE REST IS _______ .

We are still a week or so away from submitting our final drafts to our clients, so I can’t say much for the rest of this process. What I can say is that the experience I’ve gained from working on this brief has helped shape my perspective on approaching a commercially-creative endeavor. Being objective with the content of your brief without communicating the necessaries in a dull manner can be tough. In the end, I’ve found it important to remember that the better the brief is now will greatly affect the difficulty of communicating with my team members on the big day.

~ For now, I wish all readers a fine weekend. Cheers!

RTR for your MIND

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:06:03 -0500

Tonight, we take a different approach to describing the wonderful story of this organization. You’ve all read the in-depth, researchy posts about my client. This isn’t one of them. What I’m going to do is ask myself questions about my client and answer myself on my own blog. (AHEM)

What does the story of your client look like?

Okay. What does it sound like?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyOyksOMaEw&feature=related

Seems appropriate. How does it feel?

Like a perpetual hug.

Well put, Matt. Is it fuzzy, geometric or both?

Neither. It’s soft and amoebic.

I dig that. What kind of animal would your client be?

A big bear. Only it gets along with every animal on the planet. And helps take care of them when it can.

That sounds nice. Would you say their story is loud or quiet? Big or small?

Quiet in their self-acclaim (I believe modesty is the word). Definitely big. Big in their heart(s).

Your client sounds rather great.

They are.

~ Hope you enjoyed my conversation with myself. I know I did. G’night.

S P A C E

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:07:51 -0500

I won’t be writing about the final frontier, but you can always research the findings of its original master. Tonight I shall speak on the space my client works in, current happenings in the space of my client’s endeavors, and organization(s) that would make great partner(s) in my client’s space. In other words, SPACE SPACE SPACE. But seriously, let’s talk about space.

The space my client works in is a cozy location conveniently distanced from my own abode. It’s a nice little office, stocked with all the necessaries. Now, more importantly…

THIS is the space that RTR will be focusing their work on — Eastview Neighborhood. I will soon be visiting one of RTR’s clients within this neighborhood, so there will be more details to provide on that subject as the week rolls on. In other news…

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR RTR

February - April

• RTR and volunteer groups will be visiting selected homes to evaluate repair needs and perform safety assessments.

• March 24th - Run to Rebuild Richmond 5k

ORGANIZATIONS THAT FIT THE BILL

• POAH (Preservation of Affordable Housing)

~ “POAH is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve and steward affordable rental housing to provide stability, hope and economic security to low- and moderate-income individuals and families. POAH owns and operates close to 7,000 affordable homes at more than 50 properties in nine states and the District of Columbia.”

• Housing Hope

~ “Housing Hope shall promote and provide a continuum of safe, decent, affordable housing and necessary related services for very low and low income residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island.”

*This organization wouldn’t necessarily be a choice partner (given the location), but they definitely exude the heart of what RTR is trying to accomplish.

…that’s all for now, folks. Keep an eye out for more RTR-related info. Adios!

Singing Praises/Solving Mazes

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:46:00 -0500

Bienvenidos! Today is a special day because I just came back from my very first client meeting with RTR. This post will reflect upon the insightful experience I gained from this meeting. Firstly, I want to re-iterate why this organization is so amazing. Their personal involvement and relationships with their clients is something that every organization should aspire to. This morning I met with Amy King, Executive Director of RTR, and Susan Collett, Program Manager of RTR. During our discussion we were trying to organize a day for me to meet one of their clients for the upcoming blitz build in Eastview Neighborhood. As we talked about possible locations for me to consider, they discussed which clients would be most comfortable with my visit and the reasons why certain clients would not be comfortable with it. They were mentioning their clients on a first-name basis, describing them as one would describe a friend they had known long enough to fully understand their level of comfort with the prospective visit. THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT! - (not completely, but let me finish) - They are able and motivated to be close to the personality of their clients; thus, being able to analyze how to properly communicate their concerns without allowing the client to feel uninvolved or uncomfortable. If most businesses and organizations put this much emphasis on the well-being of their clientele, the world would be too happy for words. I was very impressed with them in that respect.

The insights I received from today’s meeting are going to be HUGE to the way we approach the work ahead. I learned a lot about the target audience, the desired deliverables from the day of, and (most importantly) the proper perspective on how RTR approaches all aspects of their work. Their method for interacting with prospective sponsors/donors/volunteers is not focused on targeting a certain demographic; rather, it is a process of expressing the specific needs of their clients and matching those needs with the offers present. So, when RTR is working with a client who needs (for example) a new walkway for a safer route into their home, they communicate with a sponsor that can provide the necessary means to getting this job done. If the job calls for 1-2 experienced workers who can complete the job with materials provided by their sponsor, then THAT is the target that RTR is trying to hit. I think it’s really cool that their process always ties back to client needs.

Having discussed their audience, we moved on to the desired product from CreateAthon day. I was informed that we are no longer focusing on their Annual Report Template, which will give us more time to emphasize the re-design of their website and promotional brochures. I was also able to clarify that they desire two brochures (one for clients, one for contributors), as opposed to an all-encompassing brochure-o-rama. We also talked about taking a close look at their recent Newsletter layout and making suggestions for its overall design. These details, along with many others, helped magnify the tasks we will be completing.

The most influential part of this experience was learning about the essence of RTR and the aspects of their work that make people like Amy and Susan passionate about it. In discussing their perspective on helping their clients, they brought up the concept of “conserving resource utilization”. They explained that what RTR does is more than just repairing homes: it gives their clients less decisions to make with the money they have. Someone on their client list could be forced to decide between using their funds to fix their home or being able to pay for needed medical care. RTR is here to return the money they would have spent on their home; thus, making the choice between a healthy home and a healthy body non-existant. The essence of what they do is based on engaging with the issues that overwhelm the lives of their clients. Adding balance to the lives of their clients, RTR is able to stabilize the situations that make home-owning difficult. To me, they are like dedicated gardeners. They are passionate about tending to the parts of our city that need help to flourish, but they don’t lose interest as soon as their initial work is done. Once a piece of their community is beginning to thrive, they stay involved to ensure that their work has created a healthy future for this piece of the city (erm, garden). Their overall goal is to help our community grow to its full potential by focusing on the parts that need focus. I am very glad to have formed a more solid connection with the heart of this organization. Communicating their great work is going to be much easier having done so. Happy thoughts all around. Until next time…

Concerning stories...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:50:00 -0500

Hallo! It’s late in the day of Wednes, so (drum roll) IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER BLOG POST! Tonight’s topic will focus on the use of successful storytelling techniques as a means to get what you want. While the phrase “get what you want” may sound a bit ambiguous, it has everything to do with the functionality/purpose of storytelling. Some trade old stories to pass on a piece of their history and, in turn, give longer life to their memory. Others may pass their stories on to others for the purpose of sharing something personal and meaningful, perhaps to exemplify an important lesson they learned. Whatever the case, people share stories in order to forge a specific bond with their chosen audience. It is this connection between speaker and listener that gives a storyteller the ability to hypnotize their audience, if only just for a brief moment. Within that moment, the ground below the feet of the narrator becomes a stage and all willing listeners shuffle to their seats.

I, for one, am obnoxiously consumed with telling stories. To me, good stories are the lifeblood of any proper social environment. It also serves as a cop-out for social awkwardness when surrounded by new people, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the author of this blog (wink/sob). The most important aspect of telling a good story is creating common ground with those listening without sacrificing a useful amount of the unknown. Sometimes I think I start a story really slowly and descriptive in order to set the listener up for this one LOUD detail. Now, when I say LOUD, I mean that it overwhelms a specific sense or common insight and immediately brings the listener in. This may be easier for me to do because the only people I generally tell stories to are friends, friends of friends, or strangers who know one of my friends. I have tremendous respect for anyone who pursues stand-up comedy or any similar craft because it is very difficult to write something that a live crowd will stay interested in. Trying to keep a steady flow of banter without wasting your breath on boring material (while trying not to lose it) has to be pretty scary. Especially in front of a mass of strangers.

The form of storytelling that I am most intrigued by is that which exists in songwriting. Blending the emotion, message and overall technicality of a song is a talent that I aspire to sharpen. Someone who has successfully utilized the storytelling aspect of music is my first musical obsession, Ben Folds. A lot of people know him as a crass, goofy piano-player who blends too much comedy into his music to be taken seriously. Personally, I think he’s a genius. The man’s catalog of songs has more individual characters in it than I can try to recall. While these characters tend to carry their own traits and issues, they always show a side that anyone can connect to. What’s even cooler about it is that he frequently uses these characters to express his own thoughts and problems without being too personal. This isn’t unheard of in the realm of songwriters, but anyone who has listened to his music in-depth can respect his prolific creation of interesting characters and the level of personal reflection in them.

Being sure that you’ve told an effective story can be difficult. Sometimes people feign interest in order to keep things cozy. Honestly, I think anyone would know if a story they told was a flop. Even if people don’t dig the tale you have to tell, it’s always good practice. For me, the most common sign of a successful story is laughter. So…LAUGH. LAUGH NOW. Thank you. Good night

The mark made by RTR

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:00 -0500

Happy Monday, everyone. Today is a day to celebrate work, school and other responsible things. Also, it is a day to write a blog post that celebrates the positive change Rebuilding Together Richmond makes in the Richmond community. Now…you may be asking yourself “how important is RTR to our community?”. First, I recommend you ask me instead of yourself. Second, I can easily tell you why…

RTR is an organization that has made some important steps in bettering our community. Since they began working in 1993, they have rehabilitated 830 homes and aided in the revitalization of 15 neighborhoods in the Richmond area. Last year alone they helped improve the lives of over 80 people in 49 homes, all within a single neighborhood in the East End of Richmond. The cause only continues to grow: last year they received the funding of twelve new sponsors and added fifteen new volunteer teams to their roster. This kind of a positive response shows that their mission to help others is something that many see eye-to-eye with. Creating an opportunity to give back to the community and effectively better the lives of those less fortunate is a change that few could belittle. If anyone could belittle it, they would just sound mean anyway.

What would the world be like without RTR? Well, hopefully other parts of the country would still be receiving aid from other sections of the national Rebuilding Together organization. Meanwhile, Richmonders who fit the profile of elderly/low-income/disabled would not be as excited about our city. If you’ll look back to the numbers I put up above, you’ll remember that they have helped 830 different households. Think about it - 830 people got the chance to continue the enjoyment of their homes without living under harsh circumstances. Had this fine organization not existed, those people could have ended up in any number of unfortunate living situations. It is hard to put a face to 830 people, but imagine any person you know who would fit the requirements for becoming a client of RTR. Aren’t you glad there are actual PEOPLE, let alone a full organization, that would take joy in helping the person(s) you thought of?

Now, on the subject of potential/current/past clients of RTR: what do they look like? Looks are hard enough to express in words, so I think I’ll provide you with some pictures of homeowners who received help from RTR in years past…

(bare in mind that some people in these photos are not clients)

Look for the people with the biggest smiles. I hope you’ve enjoyed zis post. For now, I retire…

Five things...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:22:05 -0500

HOWDY. It’s Friday and I’m excited. You should be too, so I’m going to give you the top five reasons that I am (and you should be) excited about CreateAthon! WOO! Get into it.

Countdown…in no particular order (regarding importance - we’ll keep this equal)…

5. Getting to know my fellow team leaders better - The time I’ve spent around the many people involved with CreateAthon has been quite pleasant. They are all really down-to-earth, but also very focused on making this event as great as it can be. It is inspiring to work beside people who are so involved. I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with these folks.

4. Getting to know the people of Rebuilding Together Richmond - My site visit will be taking place very soon, so I will be learning a lot more about my client. I have been anxious to see their facilities and meet the people behind the purpose. What RTR does is really amazing, so I can easily speculate that the people that work for them are just as amazing.

3. Meeting the students I will be working with on the big day - I believe the applications for CreateAthon are now available, and the powers that be tell me they have already received a fair amount of these apps. Regardless of who ends up on my team, I know that this experience is going to be a good one. We have a lot of great people in our program, so I can imagine the selection process is going to be tough. The anticipation is killing me.

2. Visiting an RTR work site - Amy King, Executive Director of RTR, has expressed that she would like for me to visit the neighborhood they will be working in this year. I think this opportunity is going to provide a lot of inspiration for the work ahead. Getting to see a work site will definitely help us capture the essence of what they do.

1. THE WORK - Ahh, the work. Just another month (and some change) and we’ll be shaped up for the main event. I’ve heard plenty of good feedback regarding how fun the 24-hour creative blitz is. Having pulled way too many all-nighters at this point, it’s nice to have someone tell you that you’re supposed to stay up. I feel confident that the work produced in those 24 hours will be very beneficial to RTR’s cause.

That’s about it, though I’ve recently heard rumors of a nerf gun battle during break-time on ze big day. It would be unprofessional for me to list that in the top five, but I think it’s worth mentioning. Cheers.

Nonprofit - Liga Peruana de Lucha Contra el Cancer

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:33:35 -0500

G’day! I’m going to take a few to write about a couple nonprofit campaigns that I found to be rather interesting. The organization, Liga Peruana de Lucha Contra el Cancer, is a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the spread of cancer (specifics are a little hard to fish out for this organization, given the dialect). Y & R, Lima/Peru have produced campaigns for this nonprofit, both centering around the theme of preventing cancer before it occurs/worsens. Here’s an ad from Y & R, Lima’s campaign….

This ad is part of a series that is directed towards younger people, hence the line “live to be old/detect cancer in time” . The copy is SUPER simple, but it works great for the audience. I remember being stoked about the idea of my Pokemon card collection becoming valuable over time (a dream that I still hold on to, though it’s probably not going to happen). This is an interesting benefit to attach to getting screened for cancer, and it definitely won’t scare kids away. Plus, that elderly character has swag beyond swag. Let’s take a look at another ad from Y & R, Peru…

I really love the look of these ads. This one really struck me, but mainly just because of the photography. It almost looks like a UFO is landing out of the shot. All that aside, the message is simple and well-put. I felt that they made a point that I’ve heard a thousand times over, but they made it in a different/interesting way. Sometimes a simple reason you haven’t heard can convince you to do something you’ve been told to do all your life. Maybe not, but I dig these ads regardless. Keeping the tone light and humorous for such a topic makes it much easier to digest. Well done, I say. Well done.

A Closer Look

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:30:00 -0500

Evening, chaps. I’m going to take a little time to delve into the finer details of the work ahead. The idea is to fully communicate what RTR does in order to solve the issue of public awareness. As stated in my last post, RTR has had issues communicating that they operate year-round and that they organize smaller teams for homes with less damage. The problem we are faced with is assimilating those functions of RTR into common knowledge of the organization. In order to do that, we must first identify ze audience.

Our audience values a community that takes care of its own. RTR’s mission to give people the opportunity to age in their desired home is something that would be at the heart of this audience. As it stands, Rebuilding Together Richmond is focused on spreading their message to as wide an audience as possible: donors, volunteers, fellow non-profits, businesses, etc. While all of these are important, the most emphasis will be placed on those who would give in-kind donations to the organization. Now, how shall we go about spreading the good word to those in question?

The biggest barrier to change for RTR is the vehicle for their advertisement/awareness. Updating web services, connecting to social media and creating promotional materials are just a few ways that we could get information on RTR out to more people. Another barrier that may come from this is deciding what will specifically address donors/volunteers, potential selected homeowners or both. There may be multiple promotional materials designed in order to support each audience thoroughly, but this may not be the case. Either way, the task is cleanly put. I’m looking forward to getting into it. Until next time…

Meeting Rebuilding Together Richmond

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:47:41 -0500

Last Monday I got to meet with representatives of RTR, and quite a meeting it was. I was very pleased with how friendly and informative they were (a quality that made my job much easier). The hour I spent with them gave me a better idea of what our objectives will be for this client and how to accomplish them. If any readers are interested in working on this project for the big day, I will say that this cause is definitely worth the work. RTR is a group that is VERY passionate about what they do. The good they do in the community and the positive reactions from the selected homeowners shine a light on how big the heart of this organization is.

During our meeting, we talked a lot about the essential elements of the project. The bulk of the work will be focused on the redesign of their web page. This will involve updating the site to a level of functionality that is supported by all web browsers and making it easy to manage for the organization. A general change to the content of the website will take place, but this is more of an addition to existing information about the group. Because RTR is a non-profit organization with no government funding, they have not had the opportunity to properly show their full vision. Many people think that the only work done by RTR takes place during the blitz build day in April. This, of course, is not the case. The year-long efforts of the organization will be made more apparent to their audience by the end of this project. Another popular misconception is that RTR only wants to take on larger jobs for big volunteer groups. They are currently trying to push smaller, partner builds where less volunteers are used and people with fewer damages still get the help they need. This is just a couple of the elements of RTR that our work will bring into the spotlight.

The best part of our meeting was getting the chance to see testimonial videos of certain homeowners from past builds. Not only was this footage well shot and edited, it showcased the importance of RTR in its rawest form: the emotional response from the person receiving help. Seeing just one of those videos was enough to get me amped about working for this client. Their mission to focus on existing members of the community as opposed to building new homes is something I really dig. It’s too often that you can drive through a new neighborhood that is stocked with empty, fresh-built homes. Bringing people together to keep communities together sounds like a way better purpose than ignoring existing people to attract prospective people. Simply put, RTR is a super-awesome-amazing organization and I am way excited to be working with them. Good times ahead.

Introducing RTR

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:57:48 -0500

Greetings! I’ve recently been informed that I will be working with Rebuilding Together of Richmond for this year’s Create-a-thon. This will be a great cause to work behind and I am very excited about this opportunity. Before I get too excited, I want to take the time to tell you about this great non-profit organization.

Rebuilding Together of Richmond (previously known as Christmas in April) is a volunteer program that focuses on rebuilding, repairing and rehabilitating homes and non-profit community buildings. They are an affiliate of the National Rebuilding Together organization and a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (Central Virginia Chapter). RTR recruits volunteers (usually over 1500 people) each year to help low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners who cannot maintain their houses. The rebuilding process takes place every year on the last Saturday in April (this year’s date is 4/28), centering the process around a “blitz” build in various areas of the city. Though the bulk of the work is done on this big day, RTR spends plenty of time throughout the year preparing for the event.

Applications for homeowners and volunteer groups are reviewed during the Fall and decided upon by January of the new year. Eligibility for homeowners is decided upon by the following criteria:

Must live in chosen neighborhood
Must be homeowner
Must be 55 or older, or disabled
Must have household income under $25,000

If a homeowner’s application meets these needs, they are informed at the beginning of the year and are visited by RTR employees/volunteers for an assessment. This assessment determines the repair needs (prices/materials/etc.) and the project’s level of safety. Once the project has been evaluated, the remaining days are spent in anticipation of the big event!

It is important to note the pertinence of organizations like RTR. When I was younger, I spent some time working with a youth group on a project just like this. We spent a day re-painting, rebuilding and cleaning an elderly man’s house in a low-income area. While spending the day with friends and family was fun, the memory that stuck with me was the look on the man’s face: he looked like a child on Christmas. To see someone who has reached an age where they physically cannot take care of themselves is a serious wake-up call for anyone. The fact that a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people like this exists is a wonderful thing.

I really look forward to working with them.

If you are interested in finding out more about this organization, you can visit their website at http://www.rebuildingtogetherrichmond.org/index.htm and take a look around. Also, I’ll be meeting with members of this organization soon and will be posting more information about them. Until next time…

Regarding non-profits...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:14:16 -0500

According to Wikipedia, the magical information source, a non-profit organization is defined as the following:

Nonprofit organization (abbreviated as NPO) is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals rather than to distribute them as profit or dividends. States in the United States defer to the IRS designation conferred under United States Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c), when the IRS deems an organization eligible. They may or may not have shareholders.

Now, doesn’t that sound incredibly boring? Accurate or not, this definition doesn’t seem to capture the spirit or purpose of a non-profit organization (though I must add that the distinguishing characteristics of a non-profit organization are essential to understanding its functionality). While the technical speech of Wikipedia’s definition appears to be sound, it is missing some important elements. For one, the purpose of a non-profit is to serve a public or mutual benefit other than the accumulation of profits for owners and investors (info retrieved from http://learningtogive.org/papers/paper41.html). A non-profit can provide programs or services that meet community needs left unresolved by the government. Furthermore, non-profits can meet these needs at a faster rate because they do not require a majority vote or agreement from the general public in order to act on something. In this way, non-profits can get more accomplished than the government itself. That’s pretty impressive, considering the circumstances.

Non-profits do a lot more than just solve specific problems in the surrounding area. Their presence alone can instill positive values in the community they inhabit. This is important because, even if a non-profit organization can’t accomplish much on its own, it can inspire others in the area to join the cause and spread ideas. Sometimes a small spark is all it takes to start a fire (quoth the caveman). Anyway, a non-profit’s influence on the community is an important benefit of their presence. It is also important to note that non-profit organizations serve as a bridge between capitalism and democracy for the people to take advantage of. Giving citizens the opportunity to participate in social welfare binds them as a community and directly connects them to the issues they’re concerned about. Making these kinds of advantages available to the public reinforces the idea of democracy itself. If that doesn’t make non-profit organizations crucial to our community, then what does?